The one guide you'll need to know about the openings coming your way in the week ahead. This week sees the opening of an Istanbul cafe, the central London debut of a popular bakery, a restaurant that's all about wagyu and more...
Sourdough Sophia
Covent Garden - 16 Neal’s Yard, London WC2H 9DP
Sophia and her husband Jesse are bringing their bakery chain into the centre of town for the first time, taking over what was once The Barbary Next Door. The bakery will stock her sourdough loaves, of course, but we think the pastries will be the bigger draw. We can't overstate how great the ceral milk cookies are, but the passion fruit bows are also excellent. They'll have soft-serve in a cruffin cup here too.
Opening date: 29 July 2026
Wagyu Yakiniku USHIO
Fitzrovia - 12 Charlotte Street, London W1T 2LU
This is a sister restaurant to one that originally started in Fukuoka, Japan, and they're even bringing over the original restaurant's head chef to get things started here. The wagyu is also all going to come straight from Japan and they'll be serving it up omakase-style over a counter, in different dishes, including tartare, curry and carpaccio.
Opening date: 28 July
Cup of Joy
Marylebone - 28 Blandford Street, London W1U 4BZ
This cafe originally started in Istanbul and the London outpost is the first one outside of Turkey. Alongside their coffee (featuring guest coffees from around the world), they'll also be serving up bagels, pistachio porridge, salads and toasties. On the sweet side, we rather like the sound of the Baba Au Tea, featuring poppy seed sponge, orange rooibos syrup and whipped cream.
Opening date: 27 July 2026
Uchi Bake
Islington - 19 Camden Passage, London N1 8EA
The second of this week's new bakeries is one that has already been a big hit in Clapton. For their new Angel outpost, they're promising their lovely sandos, matcha mochi cookies and the must-try hojicha cheesecake.
Opening date: 30 July 2026
Here's what opened last week
Mr Fogg's Market Tavern (Covent Garden) - The Crusting Pipe is no more, now Mr Fogg and his Guinness Saloon are there.
Coppa Club (London Bridge) - The latest Coppa Club is their flagship London restaurant, looking out onto the Thames.
Tasca (Shoreditch) - The Spanish/Portuguese pop-up has found a new home in Shoreditch.
Tokkia (Soho) - A Korean match house, with a speciality of salt breads.
Imagination Cafe (Oxford Street) - Selfridges' lower ground cafe gets an inventive glow-up from an interesting restaurant and bar team.
This week's events
27 July (Mayfair) - IGNI launches its Michelin Chef Series with a one-night collaboration between executive chef Theo Clench and Restaurant Interlude's Michelin-starred Jean Delport. Expect a multi-course menu combining British, South African and French influences, featuring signature dishes from both chefs. Tickets are £195, including a welcome drink.
27-28 July (Clapham) - Aldi's Summer Cool Down ice cream van is stopping at Clapham Common to give away thousands of free ice creams, including its new White Chocolate & Mango Ice Cream and Chocolate & Hazelnut Ice Cream Cones. The giveaway runs from 11am-3pm each day, while stocks last.
28 July (Piccadilly) - Award-winning wine writer Sunny Hodge heads to Fortnum & Mason for an interactive tasting exploring the science behind wine flavour. Hosted in The Wine Bar, the evening includes a guided tasting, charcuterie, a Q&A and book signing. Tickets cost £60, or £85 with a signed copy of The Cynic's Guide to Wine.
29 July - 2 August (Stoke Newington) - Michelin-trained chef Whyte Rushen is back in London and is taking over Top Cuvee's kitchen for a week-long residency, serving what he calls his "equal parts elegant and trash" cooking. Expect inventive dishes, including his cult oysters with pickled onion Monster Munch, alongside a menu inspired by his acclaimed pop-ups and world travels.
30 July (Highbury) - Yard Sale Pizza is celebrating 10 years on Blackstock Road with a free street party alongside neighbourhood bakery Fink's. Head to Fink's Salt & Sweet for free pizza slices and its famous ice cream sandwiches, with drinks including Pretty Decent lager, rosé and pét-nat available to buy.
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